Plug Out Tune In

Maybe I’m being a little too cynical…I just don’t think that Brad Pitt is saving the world. Bill Gates on the other hand, is a different story.
While a friend of a friend of mine has chosen to label Mr. Gates as a ‘socialist’ (yes that’s right a socialist…America’s richest man, and corporate icon in the most capitalistic way possible) for his new stance on a different way of looking at energy, I see that Gates might actually be on the cutting edge of a new way of viewing what environmentalists have talked about for years.

In Gates’ most recent TED talk, entitled innovating to zero, the multimillionaire lays out energy and climate in a clear way through a simple balance equation: CO2=PxSxExC P: People S: Services E: Energy C: Carbon Dioxide/unit energy. He endeavours to help the poorest of the world live better lives, which is an honourable mission, however, one that doesn’t bode well for reducing emissions to stop what scientists call climate change. Naomi Klein talks about the concept of luxury emissions vs survival emissions, and the concept makes sense. In order to achieve Bill Gates’ goal of helping the poorest of the world live better lives, therefore, increasing ‘survival’ emissions, richer societies will have to reduce their ‘luxury emissions’. Perhaps this means less of using Hummers to get groceries, and maybe even more local food production.

Now, Gates doesn’t touch on this in his talk. He unpacks an alternative when it comes to energy. By explaining his idea of how in order to stop climate change, one of the variables on the right side of the equation has to get to zero, he highlights the need for more energy with less planetary impact. This idea isn’t new, however, the technology and the mindset involved is. Environmentalists have talked for years about using the resources that are available on earth in abundance (Wind, Sun, Tides, Atoms etc). The difference in this new eco conscious view of alternative energy, is that it doesn’t encompass that whole touchy feely ‘lets-save-poloar-bears-and-mother-earth’ type conversation on what powers our societies. Now it’s about the future of life as we know it, living comfortably and expanding a new and growing industry of alternative energy.

Everyone’s got a different view on the ‘isms’ at play in societies and politics. Some people identify with socialism, others with liberalism, and here in the global north, even more with capitalism. So far, the attempts by youth to impact environmental policy by talking about the ‘future generations’ haven’t worked, neither have those talking about moral responsibility to preserve the land for the health of people today, so I’m thinking that maybe we should give this whole system of capitalism a try in regards to the current environmental crises the world is facing. Bill Gates just put a face on alternative energy (I’m not going into the debate on nuclear energy right now) and in doing so, opened up room for discussion on environment that is innately integrated with modern commerce. So if we talk about the ‘climate crisis’ maybe Gordon Campbell’s idea of carbon trading isn’t such a bad one, considering other attempts to influence governments about climate change haven’t worked. Maybe the use of market mechanisms can make the difference.

At the end of the day, political leaders don’t seem to be doing a lot on the climate front (there are many exceptions) and COP 15 failed: perhaps free enterprise and our capitalistic society of businesses and corporations will be the ones leading what some call the ‘environmental revolution’ or simply what I see as a global shift towards technologies that are a little gentler on planet earth, and methods of governing that take into consideration the environment as an irreplaceable asset instead of recording it as negligible aspect of a profit and loss account . We’ll see what happens in the coming years. Yes, Bill Gates may in fact be trailblazing the way to saving the world- Sorry Brad Pitt, you’ve still got a ways to go.

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